"Hearing them over the phone, reading text messages... it's been extremely hard, because I haven't been there to support them," she told Action News.

Mariel Burtelle of Seaford, Del. secured a ticket Tuesday night. She is rushing to the hurricane-ravaged island after her mother died there on Sunday.

"They asked me to come as soon as possible because they cannot hold her," she said. "They don't have a morgue. They don't have freezers. They cannot hold her. They want to bury her as soon as possible."

Wednesday morning's flight was American Airlines' second from Philadelphia to San Juan since Maria hit.

It was loaded with passengers and 30,000 pounds of cargo, including relief supplies.

The airline's first flight from its Philadelphia hub to Puerto Rico left last Friday with $20,000 worth of goods. And since Friday, American has sent down a combined 300,000 pounds of cargo from Philadelphia and Miami.

"We have a long, rich history of being a big presence in the San Juan airport," said airline spokesman Justin Franco. "We know we have a lot of team members and family members affected."

Also on this flight were local relief workers from the Salvation Army, which has an estimated 150 staffers who are home-based in Puerto Rico.

Since Maria, the organization has been feeding an estimated 14,000 people a day and providing shelter.

Some of the local Salvation Army workers have family in Puerto Rico, or have lived there themselves. They are eager to help.